The Best Player to Wear Every Jersey Number

When you consider the role of numbers in professional sports, you most likely think about the statistical trends that determine an MLB club's batting order against a certain pitcher, or the number behind the answer to a particular bit of sports trivia.

Numbers are everywhere in sports, including in its most basic function: identifying a player on a team's roster. Outside the daily operations within a franchise, the number on a player's jersey carries little value unless that player earns it.

Throughout the history of the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA, the greatest players transformed a simple number into something more symbolic, something almost magical. No. 23 isn't just any number—it's the number that belongs to the greatest basketball player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.

Here are the greatest players ever to wear each number, from 00 to 99, in any sport.

No. 00: Robert Parish, NBA

Hall of Fame center Robert Parish spent most of his 21-year career in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. Parish was a nine-time All-Star and a four-time NBA Champion—his number was retired by the Celtics.

No. 9: Gordie Howe, NHL

Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe's Hall of Fame career spanned part of five decades. Often referred to as "Mr. Hockey," Howe won four Stanley Cup championships with the Wings and six Hart Trophies, honoring the league's MVP.

Howe's other accomplishments include six Art Ross Trophies, honoring the league's leading scorer and being the first recipient of the NHL's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

In 1998, Howe, a 12-time All-Star, was ranked third on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey players. Howe's number has been retired by the Red Wings.

No. 14: Pete Rose, MLB

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Due to accusations that he gambled on baseball while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose will probably never be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame—but had circumstances been different, there's no denying his career achievements would have qualified him.

Over a career spanning most of three decades, Rose won three World Series Championships, three NL batting titles, two Gold Glove Awards and was selected as an All-Star 17 times—to name just a few of his countless accomplishments.

No. 20: Barry Sanders, NFL

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Detroit Lions legendary running back Barry Sanders may have never won a Super Bowl in his 10-year career in the NFL, but the 10-time Pro Bowler was rated the most elusive running back of all time by NFL.com.

Over his career, Sanders led the NFL in rushing four times, was twice named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and was named the 1997 NFL MVP.

Sanders is the third leading rusher in NFL history, and his number has been retired by the Lions—the only team he ever played for.

No. 21: Roberto Clemente, MLB

Roberto Clemente played all 18 seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates before a 1972 plane crash tragically ended the career, claiming the life of one of baseball's greatest legends.

Clemente was a 15-time All-Star selection, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, four-time winner of the NL batting title and won two World Series Championships with the Pirates—being named the World Series MVP in 1971. He also captured the Babe Ruth Award in 1971.

Clemente was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, and his number has been retired by the Pirates.

No. 22: Emmit Smith, NFL

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Hall of Fame running back Emmit Smith played all but two of his 15 seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. The eight-time Pro Bowler won three Super Bowl Championships with the Cowboys and led the league in rushing three times.

Smith is the NFL's all-time leading rusher and holds the league records for the most career rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and the most 100+ yards rushing games.

Smith is a member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor and was named the 28th-greatest player of all time by NFL.com.

No. 23: Michael Jordan, NBA

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Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is almost universally considered the greatest player in the history of the NBA. "His Airness" won six NBA Championships with the Bulls—being named MVP of the NBA finals for each.

Over his NBA career, Jordan was named an All-Star 14 times, won the NBA scoring title 10 times, was named the league's MVP five times and was selected to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team nine times.

M.J. is the third-leading scorer in NBA history, and his number has been retired by the Bulls.

No. 24: Willie Mays, MLB

Hall of Fame center fielder Willie Mays played all but one season of his legendary MLB career with the Giants—first in New York, then in San Francisco. In just his first four seasons, Mays was named the NL Rookie of the Year and won a World Series Championship—and he was just getting started.

Mays is tied for the most All-Star appearances with 24, he's a 12-time recipient of the Gold Glove Award, a two-time NL MVP, and he ended his career with 660 home runs—currently ranked fourth on the all-time leaders list.

Mays was selected to MLB's All-Time Team, and his number has been retired by the Giants.

No. 25: Barry Bonds, MLB

With Barry Bonds' central role in MLB's decade-long steroid scandal still fresh in our minds, it's almost impossible to predict how history will eventually place him among baseball's all-time greats.

Over Bonds' career, he was selected as an All-Star 14 times, was a 12-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, an eight-time winner of the Gold Glove Award and was named the NL MVP three times. With 762 career home runs, Bonds is the all time leader—with seven more than Hank Aaron.

Let's just say most of those stats have a big, bold asterisk beside them.

No. 26: Wade Boggs, MLB

Hall of Fame slugger Wade Boggs played most of his 18 seasons with the Boston Red Sox—although he had a short, but successful, four-season stint with the New York Yankees where he won his only World Series Championship in 1996.

Boggs was a 12-time All-Star selection, an eight-time recipient of the Silver Slugger Award, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, and he won the AL batting title five times.

Though he played just one season with the Tampa Bay Rays, the club ultimately retired the number (12) he wore that year.

No. 27: Scott Niedermayer, NHL

Recently retired defenseman Scott Niedermayer played 18 seasons in the NHL—all but four of which were with the New Jersey Devils.

Niedermayer is one of the greatest defensive scorers in NHL history. He won three Stanley Cup Championships with the Devils before going on to with a fourth with the Anaheim Ducks.

He is the only player to win every major North American and international championship in his career—the Memorial Cup, World Junior Championship, IIHF World Championship, two Olympic gold medals, four Stanley Cups and the World Cup.

No. 30: Martin Brodeur, NHL

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Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur has been the starting net-minder in New Jersey since the 1991 season. In his remarkable playing career already spanning two decades, Brodeur has won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and has established himself as one of the greatest goalies of all time.

In addition to the countless franchise records he holds with the Devils, Brodeur is the NHL's all-time leader in regular season wins, shutouts and games played. There's no question that, post-retirement, he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

No. 33: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA

Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA and was the league's all-time scoring leader. Kareem won six championships—one with the Milwaukee Bucks and five with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kareem was a 19-time All-Star, a six-time MVP, a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and he was named to the NBA'S 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

No. 34: Shaquille O'Neal, NBA

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Shaquille O'Neal played 19 seasons in the NBA—most notable was his eight-year stretch with the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq won four championships with the Lakers and was named the NBA Finals MVP after three of his four wins.

Shaq was a 15-time All-Star and currently ranks sixth all time in points—he was recently passed by former teammate Kobe Bryant.

No. 36: Jerome Bettis, NFL

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Retired running back Jerome Bettis played 13 seasons in the NFL—10 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis was selected as the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1993 and went on to appear in six Pro Bowls.

Bettis was named the Steelers team MVP three times, and it was with the Steelers that he won his first Super Bowl in 2006—he retired that offseason.

No. 42: Jackie Robinson, MLB

In 1947, Jackie Robinson was named the MLB Rookie of the Year. In 1949, Robinson was named the NL MVP and earned the first of six career All-Star honors. In 1995, Robinson won the World Series as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1962, Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

All those achievements aside, Robinson is best known as the first black player to break the color barrier in the MLB, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades.

Robinson was named to Major League Baseball's All-Century Team, and his number has been retired by every team in Major League Baseball.

No. 43: Richard Petty, NASCAR

Legendary driver Richard Petty's began his NASCAR career in 1958 and ended after the 1992 season. In the 35 years in between, he racked up 200 race wins and over 700 top-10 finishes—earning him the well deserved nickname "The King."

Petty won both the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Championship a record seven times and in 2010, he was a member of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

No. 45: Bob Gibson, MLB

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson played his entire 17-year career in MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a nine-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time recipient of the NL Cy Young Award.

Gibson won two World Series Championships with the Cardinals and was named the World Series MVP in both. He pitched a no-hitter in 1971 and was named to MLB's All-Century Team.

No. 49: Ron Guidry, MLB

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Retired pitcher Ron Guidry played his entire 14-year career for the New York Yankees. Guidry was a four-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner and won two World Series Championships with the Yanks.

No. 50: David Robinson, NBA

Retired center David Robinson played all 14 seasons of his NBA career for the San Antonio Spurs. The 10-time All-Star won two championships with the Spurs and was named the NBA's MVP in 1995.

Robinson was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and is considered one of the greatest centers in league history—he was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside the legendary Michael Jordan and John Stockton.

No. 52: Ray Lewis, NFL

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has already played 16 seasons in the NFL and has no immediate plans to retire.

Lewis is a 13-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year selection and a two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year selection.

Lewis led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV and was named the game's MVP. Even if Lewis fails to make it back to the Super Bowl, he has earned a place among the greatest linebackers of all time.

No. 64: Jerry Kramer, NFL

Right guard Jerry Kramer spent his entire career as a Green Bay Packer, throwing one of the defining blocks in NFL history, opening a hole for Bart Starr's game-winning quarterback sneak in the 1967 NFL Championship known as the "Ice Bowl."

No. 66: Mario Lemieux, NHL

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Bobby Orr, the legendary defenseman of the Boston Bruins, once called Pittsburgh Penguins' great Mario Lemieux the most talented player he had ever seen—noting that because of the countless injuries that plagued his career, we'd never see the true potential of "Le Magnifique" realized.

Injuries aside, Lemieux is still considered one of the greatest players of all time and is the only person to ever win a Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner.

Over the course of his career, Lemieux won three Hart Trophies (honoring the NHL's regular season MVP), six Art Ross Trophies (honoring the NHL's leading scorer) and two Conn Smythe Trophies (honoring the NHL's playoff MVP). He also led his native Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002.

Lemieux was inducted to the Hall of Fame immediately after his retirement in 1997, waiving the standard three-year waiting period.

No. 67: Bob Kuechenberg, NFL

A pillar of the Miami Dolphins offensive line that powered the team to wins in Super Bowls VII (the famous 17-0 Dolphins) and VII, Bob Kuechenberg played guard alongside Hall of Famers Jim Langer, Larry Little, and Dwight Stephenson.

Kuechenberg was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first team All-Pro.

No. 68: Jaromir Jagr, NHL

When Jaromir Jagr was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers before the start of the 2011-12 NHL season, it marked his return to the NHL after three seasons in the KHL and the 21st year of his career.

Jagr began his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990, winning two Stanley Cups with all-time great Mario Lemieux in 1991 and 1992. Though not always the most popular player in the locker room, the right winger is one of the best to ever play the game.

Jagr has won five scoring titles, the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1998-99, and is a seven-time First Team All-Star. He is currently the highest-scoring European-born player in NHL history.

No. 69: Mark Schlereth, NFL

In his 12 seasons in the NFL, retired offensive guard Mark Schlereth was named to the Pro Bowl twice and won three Super Bowl championships as a starter—one with the the Washington Redskins and two with the Denver Broncos.

The tenacious guard out of the University of Idaho played at a high level throughout his career, despite battling chronic knee problems and undergoing 29 surgeries.

No. 70: Rayfield Wright, NFL

Hall of Fame offensive tackle and Cowboys Ring of Honor member, Rayfield Wright, played his entire 13-season career with the Dallas Cowboys.

Wright played in five Super Bowls, winning two (VI and XII), as a seven-year co-captain of the team. He was considered one of the most uniquely athletic tackles of his era and his dominating style resulted in six Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro selections.

The 1972 NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, Wright was also named to the NFL's 1970 All-Decade Team.

No. 71: Evgeni Malkin, NHL

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Drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (after Alex Ovechkin), center Evgeni "Geno" Malkin's career was delayed by the 2005 lockout and then an international transfer dispute.

However, it didn't take long for "Geno" to make an impact; he awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy after the 2006-2007 season as the leagues best rookie.

Since his debut, the four-time NHL All-Star has won a Stanley Cup, an Art Ross Trophy for most regular season points, and a Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Penguins' 2009 Cup run.

No. 75: "Mean" Joe Green, NFL

Hall of Fame defensive tackle "Mean Joe" Green is perhaps the most iconic member of the vaunted Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" defense that helped lead the historic team to four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s.

Over 13 seasons, Greene was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time first team All-Pro and was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and NFL Defensive MVP twice.

NFL.com rated "Mean Joe" the 13th best player in NFL history and named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

No. 76: Steve Hutchinson, NFL

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Since being drafted 17th overall by the Seattle Seahawks, seven-time Pro Bowl offensive guard Steve Hutchinson has started in all 157 games of his 11-year career, including 48 consecutive games after being signed by the Minnesota Vikings in 2006.

Hutchinson has been named an All-Pro seven times and is a member of the 2000's NFL All-Decade Team.

No. 77: Ray Bourque, NHL

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Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ray Bourque was exceptional from the moment he was drafted eighth overall in 1979. Over a career spanning two decades, he set records for most career goals, points and assists by a defenseman; milestones that remain standing in 2012.

Bourque's other achievements include five Norris Trophies, honoring the league's best defenseman, and being named a first team NHL All-Star 13 times.

In 2001, his final season in the NHL, the Hall of Famer won his one and only Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. Bourque's number has been retired by both the Bruins and the Avalanche—one of only six players in history whose jersey has been retired by more than one club.

No. 81: Terrell Owens, NFL

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Though wide receiver Terrell Owens is not going to win any popularity contests, he has been one of the most productive players in NFL history.

The six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro is second on the list of all-time leaders in reception yards (15,934) and touchdowns (153) behind the great Jerry Rice, and he ranks sixth in catches (1,078).

No. 87: Sidney Crosby, NHL

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By the age of 23, Pittsburgh Penguins center and team captain Sidney Crosby had already won a Stanley Cup, a scoring title, Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for most goals in a season and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL MVP.

While concussions ended his 2010-11 season and threaten to do the same in 2012, the four-time All-Star has lived up to his reputation as one of the most promising hockey talents in a generation.

No. 89: Alexander Mogilny, NHL

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Six-time NHL All-Star right winger Alexander Mogilny was a prolific scorer who had one of the best seasons in league history. Mogilny won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2001 and tallying over 100 points in a season twice over his 17-year career.

No. 91: Sergei Federov, NHL

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A member of the dominant, three-time Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s, center Sergei Fedorov was named Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the NHL and was also a two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner as the best defensive forward.

Federov played 22 years in the NHL, retiring after the 2008-2009 season.

No. 93: Doug Gilmour, NHL

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After the aggressive forward was traded to Toronto by the Calgary Flames in 1992, Doug Gilmour switched his jersey number from 39 to 93 and posted 127 and 111 in his first two full seasons with the Maple Leafs.

The 1992-93 Frank J. Selke Trophy winner was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

No. 96: Cortez Kennedy, NFL

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Cortez Kennedy played his entire 11-year career with the Seattle Seahawks and was the 1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

No. 97: Jeremy Roenick, NHL

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Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of 1988 NHL entry draft, Jeremy Roenick had an impressive 18-season NHL career—scoring 1,216 points—and is one of only three American-born players to score 500 goals.

The center was a nine-time NHL All-Star and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame after retiring in 2009.

No. 99: Wayne Gretzky, NHL

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They don't call Wayne Gretzky "The Great One" for nothing. No. 99 is widely regarded as the greatest player to ever lace up skates—the records he set and the awards he captured in his 20-year NHL career speak for themselves.